Reading, Writing, and Reciting Poetry: Bringing Back Lost Arts!

Line 4: A four-word phrase about either line 1 or 7 or two words about line 1 and two words about line 7

Line 5: Three action words related to line 7

Line 6: Two adjectives related to line 7

Line 7: “Opposite” of line 1

The original diamante form requires that the last line be a word that is the opposite of the first line. The lines in between should describe either the starting word or its opposite. For example, I use cats and dogs as my opposites in my poem titled “Felines and Canines”:

Cats

Curious, playful

Pouncing, clawing, scratching

Claws, teeth, paws, tails

Barking, running, licking

Friendly, frisky

Dogs

Your shape should look like this:

__________ (line 1)

____________ ____________ (line 2)

____________ ____________ ____________ (line 3)

_________ __________ __________ ________ (line 4)

____________ ____________ ____________ (line 5)

____________ ____________ (line 6)

____________ (line 7)

Reclaim Poetry!

Memorizing, writing, and reciting poetry are in danger of becoming lost arts. In past generations, poetry recitals were a popular form of recreation. Now, with the popularity of television and the Internet, we rely far less on our ability to amuse ourselves; instead, we expect others to keep us amused. Let’s reclaim this fabulous form of social and intellectual entertainment!

Maggie Hogan is an author and publisher who is easily distracted by all things book-related. She lives in Delaware with her husband, Bob, just minutes away from their three precious granddaughters.The barn on their property houses Bright Ideas Press, dedicated to bringing practical, Christ-centered materials to the homeschool market. www.BrightIdeasPress.com.She is the co-author of A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers and the upcoming Young Scholar’s Guide to Poets and Poetry.

Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.